Newport Coast, CA -- (SBWire) -- 08/12/2010 -- “Every single child showed tremendous academic improvement,” said Vivian Hanson, who taught 2nd grade during the 2009-2010 school year at Pio Pico Elementary School in Santa Ana, Calif. These are words that every parent, teacher and administrator want to hear. But they also were inspirational to dozens of employees of Crevier BMW, who, since 1996, have volunteered countless hours at the school which is located in a largely Hispanic area of Santa Ana.

In 1996 Donnie Crevier, owner of Crevier BMW in Santa Ana, initiated a program called “Earning for Learning,” which later evolved into the Book Buddy Mentoring Program at Pio Pico. His goal was to develop a program that would enhance a child’s English language skills through mentored reading.

As part of the program, Crevier BMW purchases books and maintains a special library at the school for the students, who have ranged from 1st graders to 5th graders over the years. When a student completes a book, they can then select a new book from the “Crevier Library” to take home. This, in turn, reinforces the importance of reading with their siblings and gets their parents engaged in the learning process.

But the learning doesn’t start and end there. Crevier BMW employees volunteer their time each year to mentor the children, working with them one-on-one in the classroom for one hour per week.

This past year, according to Hanson, every child showed improvement. “Some children started with picture books and graduated to chapter books by year’s end. The nine children in the program all achieved at least a ‘3’ or proficient grade, while others obtained a ‘4’ which is on the advanced level.”

“This is just the first chapter,” said Crevier. “Our hope is that other individuals and companies in the area will step up to our challenge to help even more children succeed throughout Orange County.”

Those interested in learning more about the Book Buddy Mentoring program can contact Michele Augustine/714-835-3171 at Crevier BMW.

About Crevier BMW
Founded in 1971, Crevier BMW in Santa Ana enjoys the distinction as the most-awarded BMW dealership in North America. A primary reason for the dealership’s ongoing success is the people at the dealership -- a talented team of what many consider to be some of the nicest and happiest people in the industry who are committed to taking special care of their clients.

Crevier BMW also remains dedicated to the communities it serves and for many years has supported several local non-profit organizations and charities including: the Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach, America On Track, OC Human Relations, Human Options and the Probation Community Action Association.

Crevier BMW is located just minutes from John Wayne Airport at 1500 Auto Mall Drive, Santa Ana, California. For more information about Crevier BMW/ MINI contact (714) 835-3171.